GASabresIUFAN

There are about 7 other forwards I’d move before Casey. Every line Casey is on scores. It doesn’t matter if he is playing center or wing. He is also our best 2-way forward. I love that he is shooting and scoring more. Casey now has 12g 26a 38pts in 44gms. He leads the Sabres in +/-, points, assists and is 4th in goals.

I was just about to post the same thing.

What does that say about Bryson and Stillman. G-d does KA stink.

Bodger is one of the most underrated D in Sabres history. He played 7 plus years for the Sabres and averaged over 40 pts a year and was good in our end. We also gave up on Shannon to soon. He went on to have some very good years with the Jets.

The Sabres have acquired many "stars" in trade. Hasek, Satan, Briere, Drury, ROR, and Skinner to name 6. The worst trade the Sabres made in recent history was trading McNabb and 2 2nd rd picks for Fasching and Deslauriers. Fasching never made the Sabres, Deslauriers was a briefly useful 4th line player and all McNabb has done is be a steady stay-at-home D for the last decade who is having a breakout offensive year this season. Also one of the 2 2nd rd picks became Eric Cernak. All Cernak has done is become a steady physical stay-at-home D for TB getting top 4 minutes. Well done TM.

Those videos remind me of why I moved South. I still have PTSD from the Blizzard of 77 when we had a snow drift over our two-story house.

No, No one is paying the equivalent of a 1st, a 2nd, and an NHL player for 35-year-old (next season) Couture with 24 million cap hit (20 mill still owed to him) over the next 3 years. He also has been on IR all this season. I might give a 2nd in 2025 and a 4th in 2026 if he is proven healthy and SJ eats 50% of his contract. Tanev is also 34 and has been injured on and off. I don't think UFAs are the way to go to fix our roster holes. KA is going to have to make a couple of hockey type trades. Maybe even someone like Cozens for a top 4 D with term plus.

Maybe, but the Sabres have much better talent depth after their top 3 forwards. The Sabres are also younger overall.

Vancouver had a season last year like the one the Sabres are having this year. Their GM started to fix the roster last year after the New Year. This is what he did to help repair his roster with a solid young core but needed defensive and goaltending help. Last season's moves 1/30/23 Traded Bo Horvat to the NYI for Anthony Beauvilier, prospect Aatu Raty, and a 1st in 2023. Deadline: moves out D Stillman (to us) and Schenn (for a 3rd) and Lazar (for a 4th). Traded D replaced with Hronek (from Det) plus a 4th for the NYI 1st and a 2nd. Hronek had another year on his contract. Offseason moves Traded Tanner Pearson and a 3rd to Mon for veteran backup G Casey DeSmith (saving 1.5 mill in cap in the process). Signed D Ian Cole (1 year 3 mill), D Carson Soucy (3yrs 9.75), C Theodor Blueger (1yr 1.9 mil), C Pius Suter (2yr 3.2 mill) In-Season moves 10/8/2023 - acquired Sam Lafferty (from Tor) for a 5th 11/30/2023 - Acquired Zadorov for and 3rd (2026) and a 5th When all was said and done, Van's GM turned over 2/3 of his D group, added an excellent backup goalie to pair with his stud young goalie, and added depth to his forward group, especially down the middle. There is no reason that KA can't be a buyer and a seller during this trade deadline. There are players with term we can bring in (like Greenway last year) that can make us better this season and in the future and we can start unloading some of the deadwood on the roster. Trading Joki and VO are at the top of my list. I might even trade Krebs. I'm also taking offers on KO, EJ and Z. Comrie, Jost, Bryson and Stillman are also available but I doubt we'll get any takers. I'm also entertaining offers for Savoie, Kulich, Östlund, and Rosen if a top 4 D with term is coming back. (I'm only trading a max of 2 of those 4 prospects). I'm looking for 1 top 9 center and 2 top 4 D. DG recently moved Greenway to center and I'm intrigued by the idea of him anchoring the 4th line next season.

@Sabres Super Fan is right about the Sabres needing stability at the top, but that stability needs to be competent people. KA and DG both have shown moments of competence. There is no denying that DG has made a huge difference in players like Dahlin, Thompson, Skinner and others. He also got the team to play hard after the horror that was RK. However, he has failed to get the guys to play with any defensive structure and we continue to be in the bottom 25 of the league in giving up High Danger Chances and he has yet to fix the PP. There is also no denying that KA improved the talent in the organization, specifically the prospect pipeline. Where he has failed is finding and bringing in the right players to fill the holes in his NHL roster and getting even decent goaltending. So the question isn't whether or not the Sabres need stability. The question is are these the right two guys to give the organization the stability it needs. After last season I was leaning toward them being part of the long-term solution, but KA's failure to properly fix the holes in the roster and his failure to bring in proven help in goal, has left me believing that he is the wrong man for the job. The funny thing is I believe that both guys are salvageable. DG needs experienced assistants and KA needs an experienced team president to help him better understand when and how to use his assets to get the team to the next level.

Would you have made this post last year?

Yes an off handed comment, but he was buried on the prospect depth chart playing in only 19 of the Amerks 31 games. He was never making the Sabres. He needed a fresh start elsewhere.

Because we demoted Jost

Sad

Everything we are seeing comes down to goaltending. When are goalies make some big stops early the team feeds off the energy and usually plays well. When the goalies get beat early, their fault or not, the team collapses. Inconsistent goaltending, inconsistent team. KA is going to leave Levi and UPL in place for the season as part of his “growing pains” development season strategy. Here is the worse news. Both guys will be back next year as well. Expect a younger status quo roster for next season with more kids replacing the vets at forward. Yeah.

Sabres again fail to show up except of course the line centered by Mitts.

What time does the Sabres game start?

Matt Roy from LA?

When was Greenway waived? Robinson was waived and then traded for, but we traded the LV 2nd rd pick (and a 5th in 2024) for Greenway with two years remaining on his deal. He'll have one year left on his contract after this season. I'm in no hurry to trade Greenway, but if trading him helps get us a legit top 4 D than so be it. However, I think our prime assets to acquire a top 4 D are 2 of Kulich, Rosen, Östlund, and Savoie plus our 1st (top 5 protected) in 2024.

I think they do. We do have prospects like Kulich, Rosen and Savoie who are listed as C/W, but I think both project as wingers in the NHL. The only good prospects that project as NHL centers are Östlund and Wahlberg and both at probably a few years away. Krebs is a bust and DG has been pretty clear that he also prefers Mitts on the wing. That leaves us with just 2 centers in TNT and DC. If I we KA, one goal with the forward group is to find two centers; one for the 3rd line and one for the 4th. I'd shift Mitts to wing and Krebs (if re-signed) to the 13th forward slot. This would give us incredible depth down the middle and force the prospect to earn an NHL wing slot. If we had injuries down the middle, like this season, Mitts and/or Krebs could slot in as needed.

If I were the Sabres GM, my off-season would look something like this. I’d move on from KO, Z, VO and Jost upfront. I’d move on from UPL, Joki, EJ and Clifton in goal and on defense. Trading Clifton will be hard. Those moves create 3 starting roster spots at forward, 3 on defense and one in goal. Ryan Johnson earns one of the 3 D openings. I’d give Krebs a cheap one year prove it deal and pencil him in as the 13th forward. I’m also ok if he is traded. I’m putting 2 of Kulich, Rosen, Savoie and Östlund in the trade market with our top pick in 2024. shoring up the D is the top priority with at least one proven top 4 D. I’m also looking to add a good center or two. My dream scenario is to get a possible 3rd line center to allow Mitts to move back to wing.

Which of those 9 are you trading? Skinner, a top goal scorer, has a complete NMC and a huge contract. Tuch is an excellent all around player when healthy on a bargain contract with a M-NTC. He is also the poster child for “wants to be here.” TNT is the team’s top center, top goal scorer and on a reasonable to cheap contract. Benson, Quinn and JJP are on their ELCs and are already among our better forwards at driving offense. So that leaves Cozens and Mitts. The Sabres lack centers. They don’t have any near ready in the A. Would they ditch young DC one year into a lengthy extension? Would they trade away Mitts, who is their best 2 way forward, most versatile forward and possibly their best playmaker? While I agree that something has to change, I think it’s much more likely change come from moving on from picks and prospects being moved for help.

Where do you see Greenway playing for Buffalo next season? TNT, Skinner, Tuch, Cozens, JJP, Quinn, and Benson are all top 9 forwards under contract. When Mitts is re-signed that’s 8 top 9 forwards. Now if one of Rosen, Kulich or Savoie make the Sabres, the 9 top 9 forwards. That relegates Greenway to the 4th line. Is it worth paying Greenway $3 mill to be a 4th liner? What if trading Greenway helps get us a 2 way center or a top 4 D, I think KA would have to consider it especially if he believes Greenway to destined to be a 4th line player next season.

Wayne Gretzky got traded. Everyone is available depending on price and situation, even players with NMC/NTCs. Also given the performance of the Sabres, KA should be listening to any offer other teams want to make. I loved the Greenway acquisition. He was acquired to improve the PK and make us tougher, but he is adding less on the scoresheet than hoped. So he is worth keeping for two more years at $3 mill per year if he gives 4th line O production or could he be traded to improve the defense? I certainly wouldn’t trade him for futures unless the futures are packaged to improve the D. For example, Greenway is traded for a depth forward and 1st rd pick and the 1st is package with Joki to add a top 4 D.

He isn't being traded. Why would you trade your best 2 way forward, your most versatile forward and probably your best playmaking at forward? You wouldn’t. Now add that VO, Z, VO, Jost, Bryson, Stillman, Comrie, Robinson, and E Johnson are all coming off the books (approx $22 million in cap hits), there should be plenty of money to retain Mitts.